Choosing the best glacier hike in Iceland

Many companies offer guided glacier hikes in Iceland. Which one(s) are the best? How do you choose the best glacier hike in Iceland? Here’s our advice for our favorites!

All about Glaciers and Glacier Hikes in Iceland

A glacier hike involves putting crampons over your boots and quite literally walking onto a glacier. Crampons are ice spikes that fit over your shoes; they are more serious than Yaktrax, and these crampons will be provided by the tour company. (By the way, if you’re visiting Iceland outside of the summer months, buying and bringing your own pair of Yaktrax isn’t a bad idea; areas near waterfalls can be very icy and slippery, and hiking trails can be too!)

You will need sturdy hiking boots to hold the crampons on securely; usually you can rent these from the glacier hike company for a small fee.

The crampons are the limiting factor for kids to do glacier hikes; usually these aren’t available for kids younger than 8 or 10. A few companies do base the minimum “age” on show size rather than actual age.

How difficult is a Glacier Hike in Iceland?

Glacier hikes in Iceland are surprisingly strenuous! You’re wearing crampons, which add weight to every step. And the first part of the hike is up, up, up the glacier. And you’re walking for up to 3 hours, though you will stop to admire the view and check out some features of the glacier.

But this isn’t a glacier run. If you’re comfortable hiking 3 miles at a slow to moderate pace, I think you’ll be fine on a glacier hike. But I’m not a doctor, so this is just my opinion!

How to choose the best Glacier Hike in Iceland

My advice here has shifted over the years. The big tour companies in Iceland are getting bigger, and hiring more and more people as guides. Some of these guides are only in Iceland for the summer, and for some your hike may be one of their first tours.

Just about any glacier hike will be a good, safe experience. Tourism in Iceland is highly regulated, and every guide will be properly trained.

With that said, a smaller group tour with a very experienced guide is still my recommendation. I plan Iceland vacations, and I like knowing exactly who their guide will be so I can be confident they will have an amazing experience.

Here are 2 tour companies that fit those criteria:

Hyperborea Tours. Evangelos is the owner here, and he is a volunteer for the Icelandic Search and Rescue team. A client of mine went on a tour with him, and said he was the best tour guide she’s ever had. On any tour anywhere in the world.

Hyperborea runs glacier hikes on Sólheimajökull, which is on the South Coast of Iceland and west of Vik. It’s easy to work in to a day or more on the South Coast.

A glacier hike with Hyperborea has a maximum of 6 people, and days will fill up. Book your glacier hike with them here.

A second option that I love is Melrakki Adventures. They take a maximum of 8 people, and I interviewed the wonderful owners on my Iceland podcast, called Iceland With Kids. (Iceland With Kids is another one of our brands.)

Melrakki is further east, past Vik and fairly close to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. The hike on Vatnajökull.

Book a glacier hike with Melrakki directly on their website!

Here’s a map that shows where these 2 glacier hikes are located:

Can I go on a glacier hike in Iceland without a guide?

Nope. You should never go on the ice without a guide. The glacier is constantly shifting, changing, and melting. An experiences guide can keep you safe.

While you can’t walk ON a glacier without a guide, you can walk TO a glacier without a guide. You’ll be walking the same path that the glacier hike tour groups walk to get to the glacier, but then you won’t walk any farther. This is doable at Sólheimajökull, although the hike gets longer every year as the glacier melts.

Summary: The Bets Glacier Hikes in Iceland

I really like glacier hikes. To me, walking directly on the ice without a snowmobile or other type of vehicle in the way is an exhilarating experience. They do take a lot of time: 3+ hours with checking in, getting to the glacier, getting your crampons on, and reversing the process at the end.

Just about every tour company I know of will offer you an amazing guided tour experience. But if you can, consider a very small group tour with one of the companies above for a highly personalized and memorable experience.

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Disclaimer: We may receive a commission if you book one of the tours above. But we only recommend tour providers we like, recommend, and would personally use.

Also, if you want our help creating a highly customized Iceland itinerary for your small group, take a look at what we can offer! We can provide Iceland tours for couples, families or small groups. Or, if you have a larger group, we provide more customized trips for group Iceland tours than anyone we know!